Issue - meetings

Report CEF22059

The report presented a request to proceed to procurement for Domestic Abuse Services for victim survivors.

In considering the report, a Member noted that it was still unclear whether the Mayor’s Office for Police and Crime would recommission the DRIVE intervention programme to tackle high-harm perpetrators of domestic violence.  The Head of Service for Early Intervention and Family Support advised that work was underway to research alternative options for perpetrator programmes should the DRIVE programme be discontinued, and that any alternate programme was likely to include an increased focus on early intervention.

Having discussed the tight timescales for procurement of this service as a result of the Children, Education and Families PDS Committee being rescheduled from 13 September to 4 October 2022, the Committee agreed that the proposed decision be considered as a matter of urgency to enable the procurement process to proceed without delay and that once taken the decision would not be subject to call-in.  The report outlined a proposal to progress to contract via an independent Portfolio Holder decision due to the commissioning cycle not matching with the Committee’s existing meeting schedule.  This was discussed by the Committee and it was noted that whilst it was proposed the contract be awarded via independent Portfolio Holder decision, this would not preclude a special meeting being held if Members felt it necessary.

RESOLVED: That the Portfolio Holder be recommended to:

·  Grant approval to proceed to a competitive tender for the provision of the Domestic Abuse services for victim survivors for a four-year contract (2+2 years) at an estimated cost of £242K per annum with a total proposed value of £968K; and, 

·  Note the arrangements proposed in Paragraph 1.7 of Report CEF22059 to progress to contract award via an independent Portfolio Holder decision due to the proposed commissioning cycle not matching with the existing PDS meeting schedule.